Scabies is commonly diagnosed based on symptoms and exposure history.
Lab tests sometimes confirm a scabies diagnosis or rule out other conditions.
Scabies can spread rapidly through a household through skin-to-skin contact (including sex) or infested furniture and linens.
Illustration by Joshua Seong. © Verywell, 2018.
If one person has scabies, everyone should be treated.
This article discusses scabies diagnosis.
How Can I Check Myself For Scabies?
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
The first step in the diagnosis of scabies is recognizing it at home.
In some cases, your healthcare provider may order diagnostic tests to confirm scabies or rule out other conditions.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Sometimes, scratching can destroy the burrow, making it more challenging to locate the mite on the skin.
Diagnosing scabies with 100% certainty is not required for treatment.
The ink is wiped off the surface skin using alcohol.
This test, which has been used for other conditions, is only recently being studied for scabies.
Skin Biopsy
Sometimes a skin biopsy may be used to diagnose or confirm a diagnosis of scabies.
This procedure involves examining a small sample of skin tissue under a microscope.
A skin biopsy may show mites, eggs, larvae, or mite fecal matter.
However, a skin biopsy is rarely necessary.
It is often reserved for difficult or atypical cases.
What Other Skin Conditions Could It Be?
Scabies often looks like otheritchy rashes, most of which are not contagious.
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